1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fiber optic connectors. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-channel connector of robust design with a high density of channels, which can be easily fabricated and repaired and which has improved tolerances.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multi-channel fiber optic connectors are known in the background art. For example, in an eight channel connector of the background art, one connector housing would hold eight ferrules terminating eight optical fibers. When the connector housing is mated with a complimentary housing (e.g. on a back plane), eight ferrules held by the complimentary housing would need to precisely align with the eight ferrules of the connector housing. Some multi-channel connectors in the background art use individual alignment sleeves to align opposing ferrules. The thickness of the sleeve and the thickness of the structure to hold the sleeve combine to increase the distance between adjacent channels and greatly reduce the connector density.
It is understood in the background art, that the ferrules of the connector housing must be precisely aligned with the ferrules of the complimentary housing or signal attenuation will occur in the channels of the misaligned ferrules. Therefore, it was an obvious design parameter in the background art to make the ferrule to connector housing attachments extremely fixed and precisely located. Any slight deviation of a ferrule from its intended position within the connector housing led to poor performance of the channel of the multi-channel connector.